


Watching In Secret

by skysedge



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Light Angst, Self Confidence Issues, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:21:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28537269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skysedge/pseuds/skysedge
Summary: It's not spying.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Bernadetta von Varley
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14
Collections: femslashficlets: tarot prompt challenge





	Watching In Secret

It's not spying.

Spying on someone means you’re up to something bad, something mean, that you have an evil agenda or plan or _something._ Bernadetta had ended up in this position by accident, no evil plan at all, not a shred of meanness in her heart, and so it’s _not_ spying it’s just...watching in secret. Right? Right! So it’s totally fine and not weird at all.

The only way Bernadetta can stop herself from muttering all of this aloud is by pressing her hands hard against her mouth, jamming her fingers slightly up her nose but oh _well_ , better that than being heard and being caught, than being accused of spying or eavesdropping or being some kind of _pervert._ She hadn’t _asked_ to see any of this, she just wanted a midnight snack, and her belly is rumbling so she can’t turn back but she can’t go out and so she’s just sort of stuck here, watching and...

Spying. Maybe a little bit. But it’s not _her_ fault. It’s Dorothea's.

It should be illegal to be so beautiful, for one thing. She’s beautiful every day, no matter what she’s doing. Her hair is always perfectly curled and soft-looking, her eyes bright and sharp as polished emeralds, and that’s to say nothing of the way she carries herself, the poise and confidence of a performer is really something else. Even on a bad day, Dorothea shines. Bernadetta wouldn’t have thought it possible for her to be able to be any more stunning than that. Of course she’d been wrong about that, like she always is about everything else.

Dorothea has been out on a date. It’s obvious just by glancing at her. She’s wearing more makeup than usual, her lashes dark and fluttering, her lips red and kissable. Her hair is curled more tightly, almost in ringlets. She combs her delicate fingers through it idly and Bernadetta follows the motion with her eyes, captivated. The ringlets bounce a little, spring back into place when Dorothea let’s go of them. Yes, she’s definitely prettied up for a date.

Oh, and the man she’s with is a pretty good clue too but Bernadetta is barely looking at him at all. Especially not when Dorothea leans up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.

Bernadetta squeaks softly against her hands, her cheeks flushing red. Oh but she hadn't meant to see this, she’s not a spy! It’s not her fault that she can’t look away! She watches as Dorothea wipes the lipstick mark off of her date’s cheek with a smile and oh her heart is beating _so_ fast. It’s almost painful as Dorothea takes her date’s hands and sets them on her waist, leans in to rest against his chest. Bernadetta knows this feeling, this hot humiliating feeling, its _jealousy_ no doubt about it. But that’s so stupid, she doesn’t want a date or a husband or...

Unless...

Once she starts down this dangerous path of thought it’s impossible to keep herself from spiralling. What would it be like to have Dorothea looking at her with the same light in those sparkling eyes? What would it be like to have her hands on Dorothea's waist, to feel her curves and warmth? What would it be like to pull one of those ringlets gently and watch it bounce back? What would it be like to feel lipstick being kissed onto her cheek?

What would it be like to go on a date with Dorothea?

Bernadetta is hot all over just thinking about it and she’s breathing so fast, her heart beating so _loud_ , that surely the others will hear. She shouldn’t feel like this, she knows, but the problem is that going on a date with Dorothea sounds like a dream come true . Much too good for a nondescript guy like _this._

But if he’s not good enough then...what does that make her?

All the heat and energy rushes out of her at once, leaving her feeling cold and empty. Suddenly she can’t bring herself to look any more. She turns on her heel and flees back to her room where she dives into her bed and wills the ground to open up and end her miserable existence. She wants to forget everything. That’s not possible. The sight, the feeling, is going to stay with her. There’s only one bit of comfort she can find.

It’s not spying. Spying means that the spy has importance, has value. It’s more like haunting, being a pale shadow of a person who can’t cross into that bright world however much it tries.

**Author's Note:**

> For the femslashficlets Tarot prompt table challenge, The Heirophant - The dependency on approval from an elevated dignity.


End file.
